Summary

  • Updates from Monday 24 February to Sunday 1 March

  1. Town decorated with 'ribbons of hope'published at 17:49 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    West Mercia Police tweeted these photos, external of "ribbons of hope" tied on railings and trees in Newport, Shropshire, and said they'd been put in place while residents took their daily exercise.

    Ribbons on treeImage source, West Mercia Police
    Ribbons on treeImage source, West Mercia Police
  2. Flower show cancelled for first time since WW2published at 17:40 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    This year's Shrewsbury Flower Show has been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

    A previous Shrewsbury Flower Show

    The Shropshire Horicultural Society said, external it made the decision to not hold the event - set for 14 and 15 August - "with deep regret".

    It added the only other times the show had been cancelled in its 132-year history was during World War One and World War Two.

  3. Police sing Happy Birthday outside girl's homepublished at 17:36 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    A four-year-old in Warwick had the police arrive earlier - to wish her a Happy Birthday.

    All together now...

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  4. Black Sabbath star's auction raises £19k for NHSpublished at 17:20 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    Rock legend Tony Iommi's guitar was auctioned alongside vinyl discs, CDs and DVDs he had signed.

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  5. Six deaths confirmed at Shropshire care homepublished at 17:10 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    BBC Shropshire

    Six residents diagnosed with coronavirus have died at a care home in Shropshire.

    We told you earlier about the deaths at Park House Care Home in Kinlet, Bridgnorth, although the number was unclear.

    Public Health England has since confirmed the figure.

  6. Firefighters begin moving coronavirus bodiespublished at 16:59 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) described the move as a "harrowing aspect of the crisis".

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  7. North West Tonight weather man inspires BBC News bandpublished at 16:56 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    It started when BBC North West Tonight's weatherman Owain Wyn Evans tweeted himself playing the drums to the BBC News theme tune - and by the end of the morning it was viral.

    Now it looks like a Owain has inspired a whole BBC News band!

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  8. Led Zeppelin singer makes NHS scrubs gesturepublished at 16:54 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    BBC Midlands Today

    Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant has donated thousands of pounds to a Kidderminster company which is producing scrubs for healthcare workers.

    Robert Plant

    MG Sportswear usually manufactures uniforms for schools, sports teams and airlines but has seen business grind to a halt because of the Covid-19 crisis.

    The firm says the money from the rock star will help produce 1,000 sets of scrubs for NHS and care home workers., external

  9. Coronavirus: Updates from across the North Westpublished at 16:48 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    Updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news from across the North West of England on Friday 17 April.

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  10. Bentley Motors extends factory shutdownpublished at 16:32 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    BBC Radio Stoke

    Luxury car manufacturer Bentley Motors is extending the shutdown of its plant in Crewe by another three weeks.

    Bentley Motors factory in Crewe

    With lockdown measures still in place, the firm says it's now planning to start limited production on 11 May.

    Full output would then resume a week later, under the company's latest plan.

  11. Your photos: Flowers in the sunshinepublished at 15:58 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    BBC Weather Watchers

    There are lots of flowers blooming across the West Midlands now and our BBC Weather Watchers have been sharing their photos of them today.

    Here are three from users Peter Flynn in Edgbaston, Birmingham; BymsterFromLimster in Ludlow, Shropshire; and Videoman in Leek, Staffordshire:

    EdgbastonImage source, Peter Flynn
    LudlowImage source, BymsterFromLimster
    LeekImage source, Videoman
  12. Black Sabbath star's lockdown auction raises £19k for NHSpublished at 15:43 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    Nearly £19,000 for the NHS has been raised in an auction by Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi.

    Tony IommiImage source, Ross Vincent

    Among the items up for grabs was one of Iommi's guitars, which alone raised £11,300.

    The money will go to University Hospitals Birmingham in the musician's home city.

  13. 'Home working' outdoors not allowed, police saypublished at 15:23 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    Police have been told to stop people "home-working" in parks or sitting on public benches for long periods of time.

    Guidance to officers in England says neither activity is likely to be a "reasonable excuse" for someone to leave their home in the lockdown.

    Police near people sat in parkImage source, Getty Images

    But the advice says people can move to a friend's address for a cooling-off period "following arguments at home".

    It says such moves must be "genuine" and "measured in days, not hours".

    The three-page document, entitled "what constitutes a reasonable excuse to leave the place where you live", is designed to help police enforce the emergency restrictions that came into effect three weeks ago and are set to be extended.

    It has been produced by the National Police Chiefs' Council and the College of Policing, and appears to be drawn from guidelines issued by the Crown Prosecution Service.

  14. City's care workers 'could run out of PPE in fortnight'published at 15:21 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    Kathryn Stanczyszyn
    Political Reporter, BBC WM

    Birmingham’s front line care workers will run out of protective face masks within two weeks unless the government takes urgent action, according to the city's council leader.

    PPEImage source, Getty Images

    Ian Ward along with two Birmingham MPs – Labour’s Liam Byrne and Conservative Andrew Mitchell - have sent a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick.

    The letter says supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) are "running desperately low", and asks for the government to be clear whether there is a lack of supply.

    The government says there is enough of this "precious resource" to go around and this week unveiled a new plan, external so "those who need PPE can get it and at the right time".

  15. West Midlands death toll reaches 1,831published at 15:04 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    The number of people with coronavirus who've died in the West Midlands has reached 1,831, the latest figures show., external

    NHS England recorded another 78 deaths today for the region.

  16. Bomb squad destroy explosive device in Cheshire gardenpublished at 14:50 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    Bomb squad officers were called after an explosive device was found in the front garden of a house in Cheshire, police confirmed.

    Bomb squad in WatrringtonImage source, Rob Youd

    Birtles Road in Warrington was cordoned off and nearby homes evacuated following the discovery at 14:15 BST on Wednesday.

    A controlled explosion was carried out after the improvised device was assessed by a specialist team.

    An investigation is ongoing, police said.

  17. Nightingale hospital 'example of pulling together'published at 14:38 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    Prince William opens the Birmingham site and says "hospitals are about the people not the bricks".

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  18. Bomb squad destroy explosive device left in gardenpublished at 14:18 British Summer Time 16 April 2020

    An investigation into who left the device outside a house in Warrington is continuing, police say.

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